The authors took interest in historical aspects of treatment of breast cancer over past centuries. The first mentions of breast tumours or lumps appeared in Egyptian writings 3 thousand years ago. Etymology of the word “cancer” was explained by Paul of Egina by the resemblance of blood-engorged veins adjacent to breast tumour to crab legs. Ancient doctors not only diagnosed this disease, but also made attempts at treating it. Roman doctors considered breast cancer as a local disease and treated it by radical excision, including pectoral muscle. Greek doctor, Galen, was the first to consider breast cancer as a systemic disease and tried to treat it conservatively using herbal extracts of mandrake and cabbage. Cessation of progress of medicine characteristic for the Middle Ages resulted in a dramatic reduction in the scope of surgical techniques available. A renewed interest in science, including a return to Galen’s theory and ancient surgical techniques, took place in the Renaissance. At this time, European surgeons – Ambroise Paré, Wilhelm Fabry, Jacques Guillemen and others – made ever bolder attempts at surgical treatment of breast tumour. The XVIII century witnessed further progress of medical science, while the work by William and John Hunter enabled a better understanding of structure and principles of function of the lymphatic system. The XIX century is marked by tremendous progress in surgery, including surgical treatment of malignant tumours. Introduction of ether anaesthesia in 1846 by William T. Morton, paved the way for implementation of general anaesthesia in clinical practice. Subsequent achievements of this epoch were: understanding of aseptic and antiseptic principles and examination of tissues using a microscope. The XIX century was also marked by a search of non-surgical modalities of treatment of malignant breast tumours. In 1895 Emile Grubbe was the first to use radiotherapy after mastectomy. The XX century witnessed a tremendous progress of all hitherto available diagnostic and therapeutic techniques used in the management of patients with breast cancer, particularly those based on molecular biology and gene therapy.